Untitled
by SecretAnimosity
Summary: So there's been rumors that Lily was pregnant at the time of her death. What would our beloved story be like if she had been pregnant enough for the baby to survive? This is my version of what I think the stories would have been like. Warnings: talk of religion, abuse, and neglect. No pairings yet...or title...help me decide?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I must live under a rock. Did anyone else know J.K. Rowling has said that Lily died pregnant? Well I just found out about an hour ago…and this sparked my imagination. I don't know where this is going yet. I don't have a title or a pairing…so review and let me know your ideas and opinions? Thanks.**

Prologue: A Light in the Darkness

"I'm-" Lily Potter nee Evans faltered, unable to voice the words caught in her throat. She laid her wand down on the sink, the smoky words still looming in the air, and slid down the wall, tucking her knees to her chest. They had vowed to wait until the war was over before they had another. With the prophecy looming over their heads and the war at an all-time high it just wasn't logical to have another child. What would James say? Would he be angry over her slip? It had been one night, one time she had lost herself in the pure need to feel his skin against hers, to assure herself he was alive and well.

Lily's eyes glanced back up at the smoky confirmation; even if it was the wrong time she couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness at having another baby. Her Harry was a joy. Already on a minibroomstick and obsessed with riding on padfoot's back around the small house. She couldn't help but wonder if it was a boy or girl, or if it would have James' hazel eyes. She prayed the poor child wouldn't be cursed with the forever untamable Potter hair, as Harry so obviously was.

"Lily?" Lily's head snapped to the door as she recognized a familiar female voice just on the other side. She could have cursed herself, she had forgotten Marlene McKinnon was here. When she had gotten ill over the smell of tea they were about to share she had raced up the stairs. How long had she been up here?

The door opened and Marlene paused, taking in her, what was sure to be dreadful, appearance. Lily watched the perky blonde's eyes flicker to the results and widen. It was horrible, she knew, for Marlene was her friend, but she couldn't help but wish she were Alice.

Her heart panged at the thought of her best friend. Ever since they had been told of the prophecy their friendship had become strained. They had tried not to let it die, to overcome the awkwardness and the guilt…but how could they? How were they supposed to look each other in the eye when knowing deep down that one of their families were going to be attacked and possibly die. How was Lily supposed to pretend her mother and survival instincts weren't pleading to the gods for _You-Know-Who _to pick her best friend instead, to spare her family. It was awful, it loaded her with so much guilt she couldn't stand it sometimes, but she knew Alice had to feel it as well.

"Oh Lily," Marlene moved to sit down in front of her on the cool tile and took Lily's hand that was hanging off her knee.

"Marlene," Lily whispered, still in a state of shock, "I- I'm pregnant." It seemed like whatever reality hadn't already crashed into her did then. Her chest started to get heavy and breathing became difficult. _You-Know-Who _was already searching for them, either for Alice's or her own family, how much longer would it be until she found out if her family would escape the madman's wrath? She had only a fifty fifty chance at survival…only fifty percent chance her family would live to see the day her children boarded the Hogwarts Express.

Lily turned her panicked gaze to her longtime friend, "Marly…" Marlene gripped her hand tighter, her eyes pleading Lily to continue. "Would you-will you be the baby's godmother?"

Marlene's eyes widened in shock at the enormity of what Lily was asking, of the responsibility she was entrusting to her. "Lily- I-" Marlene faltered, her brain trying desperately to think. She had no family left; she was the last of the McKinnon's, so she had no one to help her raise a child if something happened to her dearest friend. But she couldn't say no, not to Lily. Not after she had been there for her when her husband was murdered by Death Eaters.

With a newfound determination Marlene looked to Lily, "Of course, Lily. I'd be honored to." And then she went into pureblood mode, her poor friend probably hadn't thought of all the contingency plans that needed to be made in such a dire time. "We need to speak to James, Lil." Lily's eyes flew to Marlene's warm blue ones in slight panic.

"Shh, Lily, James will be over the moon you know that. But we, and by we, I mean James, you, Sirius, and myself, need to sit down and come up with a plan if your family is targeted. We need wills in place and much more."

Lily could feel herself getting more panicked, and tears finally started welling up in her eyes. "Shhh, Lily it's going to be alright. This is just for worst case scenario; Dumbledore has you under the strongest Light Wards imaginable. You all are going to be okay." That was true, Dumbledore himself had cast the charm that even she, a charms mistress, hadn't learned yet. He was the greatest wizard of the age and nobody could penetrate those barriers. Slowly the panic in her chest loosened and Lily smiled up at Marlene. "Thank you Marly."

Marlene's expression morphed into one of glee at her words, "Sooo you're pregnant!"

The rest of Lily's day was spent going over possible baby names with Marlene and playing with Harry while telling him about the baby. They didn't worry about the war, _You-Know-Who_, or Death Eaters. Lily was already dreaming up how she could rearrange the nursery and when she could get Poppy to come by for a checkup.By the time James had returned from work with Sirius, Lily was a twitching bundle of excitement. She couldn't stop herself from racing into his arms before he had even had a chance to greet her. She heard him drop his bag in surprise and 'Oomph'd' against her lips but he didn't hesitate in wrapping her in his strong arms and dueling her tongue with his.

Sirius was catcalling in the background and Marlene was telling him what a git he was, but neither of them paid them any mind. Lily lost herself in the wondrous feelings, unaware that she was crying until James pulled back and she looked to him in confusion.

"Lils you're crying," he stated worriedly, bringing a hand up to wipe away her tears. Lily smiled brightly and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, and shut the door."

James complied, but didn't lose his worried expression. "Did something happen? Has there been another attack?"

Lily smiled and led him forward, "No, everyone's safe today..." She smiled when James' expression turned to playful at the news.

"Oh, so you were just worried about me then? I told you Lils, I was in the office today. No threat-"

"It isn't that James." She cut him off; both her and Marlene were beaming now while both James and Sirius had confused expressions.

Lily waited only a moment longer before the words came out of their own volition, "I'm pregnant!"

Marlene squealed in the background, but Lily watched James' face contort into worry, then into a begrudged happiness. Lily thanked her stars she saw no anger in his face.

"I-You're- I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!" James whooped loudly and raced forward, grabbed her, and twirled her around before snogging her right there. Lily couldn't stop the small giggles and she held him tight. They only parted when Sirius cleared his throat.

Lily smiled as James raced over to take Harry from padfoot and spun him around. "You hear that Harry! You're getting a little brother or sister!"

"Careful James," Lily fretted, "He just ate." She smiled fondly as her concerns were waved away and James hugged Sirius. Her last thought before James started the floo to announce the joyous occasion was that maybe, just maybe, her family would be the one to survive. But if not…they needed to start making contingency plans. She'd be damned if she wouldn't do all she could for her kids.

It was almost a week later when Poppy could stop by to check on Lily. The students were always rowdy the first month back but now that October had come they had settled down and she was able to make a quick getaway. Lily was anxiously waiting on the conjured exam table with James standing beside her holding Harry on one hip and holding her hand with his right.

"Are you sure you don't want to name it Rose if it's a girl?" Lily rolled her eyes for the millionth time in the past week. James just didn't understand that just because both of her sisters were named after flowers that it wasn't a family tradition and therefore her daughter didn't have to be named Rose.

"James," she sighed in mock frustration.

"Okay okay," he threw his hands up in surrender, "just making sure love. So Abigail if it's a girl-"

"So that she can go by Abby, as Hadrian goes by Harry." James nodded in agreement, smiling as Harry tried to chew on his finger.

"And Regan if it's a boy." Lily nodded, happy with their choices.

Not long after the door opened and Lily smiled as Poppy came in and her stomach had been filled with snitches. "Thank you for coming Poppy."

The young MediWitch just grinned and waved her hand, "Oh it's nothing dearie, I'm so happy you chose me to deliver you again." She turned to James, "And it's so nice to see you when you're not hurt Mr. Potter." James grinned roguishly at her and winked.

"And there's the young Mr. Potter. How are you beautiful eyes?" Harry giggled and clapped his hands, blowing a spit bubble triumphantly. The three adults laughed as Poppy cooed at Harry for a moment longer and then set her bag down.

"Alright Lily, you know the drill." Lily nodded and scooted farther back before laying down completely. She rolled up her shirt and Poppy eyed her with an eyebrow raised. You look to be no more than four months, but the spell will tell us exactly since you didn't grow very large with Harry either."

Lily only nodded, both her and James knew there could only have been one possible date for conception and it was six months ago. Poppy got to work waving her wand this way and that in complicated movements. Green and blue dots started appearing on both her stomach and breasts. Lily sighed in relief, no red dots. That was a very good sign. But then…very slowly, so slowly that it was hard to tell if it was actually there or not until it was fully formed, was a purple dot, just to the right of her belly button.

Neither her nor James had ever seen a purple dot come up and Lily turned to James, only to see him questioning Poppy with his expression. Lily turned back to Poppy, fear starting to clutch at her heart and clench her chest. "P-Poppy…wh-what does it mean?"

Poppy stared at the dot for a moment before she looked to James and Lily with a small smile. "Mr. Potter, does your family have any family magics?" Lily looked to James while her chest lost the weight, this didn't sound bad.

"Well yes of course Poppy, we are an ancient bloodline. We've had a few Metamorphmagi, we also have had a couple with a natural affinity for being Animagi, and my father used to tell me of his father who could fly without a broom." Poppy hmm'd in thought while Lily stared at James in disbelief.

"Poppy," James asked, "does this dot mean our little one will have some of the family magics?" Lily almost laughed at how proud James looked but the conversation was dropped when the moment of truth came.

All three heads snapped back to her stomach and Lily almost squealed in delight when a pink dot formed right above her navel. They were having a girl. The newest Potter was Abigail Marie Potter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One: Bethseda Home for Girls

Bethseda Home for Girls was an ancient orphanage on the west side Maidstone, Kent. It was home to twenty five girls, a cook named Sasha, a nurse named Melanie, and three nuns; Sister Roselyn who was an older lady in her fifties, Sister Emily who was the youngest at thirty two, and Sister Francesca who was forty one. The orphanage itself had enough room to hold forty girls and three more nuns; it also sat on a pretty decent sized plot of land so the girls could exercise behind the building. The building was surrounded by a five foot stone wall on every side except for the front which had been renovated with a large wrought iron gate.

It was here, around seven am on a dull, grey, cloudy day, that Minerva McGonagall waited almost murderously. She swore Albus was growing more senile by the day and she planned on giving him a huge piece of her mind. Never in all her years would she have thought him capable of this. Not six months ago she had to bite her tongue as she watched the barmy headmaster place Harry Potter on the doorstep of his muggle relative's house. And now he expected her to sit idly by as he placed the youngest Potter in an orphanage? _There was no bloody way, _she seethed inwardly.

This was wrong on at least fifty different levels. Abigail Potter should be placed with her older brother. She should have the same chance at a family her brother has after all she had been through. The poor dear spent two months in a magical incubator because poor Lily Potter had been killed with her _in the womb._ Then when she finally was able to return to her godmother, poor Abigail got no more than three months with her before the house had been attacked by rogue Death Eaters!

_Poor Marlene, she was always such a sweet girl and had such promise in transfiguration. _

Now Albus wanted to sentence Abigail to a childhood of not only not knowing family, but not knowing of her magic. One out of the two Minerva could live with…but both together…she was going to throttle him.

On top of all of this the barmy fool intended to put her in a muggle _religious _home. Minerva could just see the disaster now. The child would do one act of accidental magic and they would think her a witch and evil. She had taken enough muggle studies to know that religious muggles were the most intolerant. What would the child think if it was brainwashed into worshiping a muggle god who forbid magic? What if in ten years they returned for her and she thought she would go to hell for being a witch?

Minerva continued to fume while she glared daggers through the window. The girls were all up and dressed in nice clothes, kneeling in front of benches and holding necklaces. She could see their lips moving quickly and how their eyes were closed. The whole thing gave her the heeby jeebies.

Finally about two hours later when the girls had sat down for breakfast, Albus arrived. He was in old, worn muggle clothing and holding bundle in one hand and a few papers in the other. Minerva wasted no time leaping off the current window sill she was on and racing towards him. He didn't even look surprised.

"Hello," Albus greeted calmly, "Professor McGonagall." She could smell the traces of lemon on him and see him rolling the candy around in his mouth as if he wasn't about to commit an atrocious act.

When Minerva was within a few feet she let her magic loose, felt her bones shift, and finally stood in human form in front of Dumbledore. She could feel her cheeks heating up and her eyes narrowing further as she saw those twinkly blue eyes. He was not going to get away with this.

"Professor Dumbledore," Minerva greeted stiffly.

Albus rocked back on his heels merrily before shifting the bundle slightly. "What brings you to Maidstone on this fine day?" Oh he knew damn well why she was here.

Minerva felt her eyes narrowing even further and her lips pursing, "I won't let you do this Albus. This is worse than when you left the boy at those terrible muggle's house. If the boy needs his only family then why does she not need the same? Lily would strike you down f-"

"Professor McGonagall, you have become so pessimistic as of late. I too wish Abigail could have been placed with her brother but the Dursley's simply couldn't afford another child. Financially or emotionally. Could you imagine Petunia Dursley taking on two toddlers and an infant all by herself? Aside from that their house is far too small for so many young kids. Harry needs that house and its protections. It saddens me that they have to be split but it is not forever."

McGonagall about burst a blood vessel at her headmaster's lame excuses. "That is your excuse? Buy them a new ruddy house. The Potter's were a well off family I'm sure they could afford-"

"Ah but the wards are immobile, and that is one of the main reasons Harry is there at all. Those are essential to the future. His protection is essential to the future." Dumbledore smiled serenely, itching his nose with the hand full of papers.

"Now," Albus made as if to move around her, "if you'll excuse me, I-"

"You are NOT putting her in their care Albus." She knew she was close to irritating him but she didn't care, this was wrong.

"And why ever not?"

"I've watched this home all morning. While they are decent folk they are extremely religious. Albus you can't put a witch in a muggle religious home, the out could be-"

He cut her off again, once again smiling. "Minerva, my dear, you are being too negative. The reason I chose this place is because of their religion. They are taught to care about others, to have impeccable morals, and to love one another. They create an almost family like atmosphere, the closest thing Abigail will get-"

"I'll take her," Minerva interrupted, ignoring the flash of annoyance in the old man's eyes. This was her last line of defense. If she lost…she had to repress a shudder. "I'll raise her and she will be family."

"That is very admirable of you Minerva," Albus started, smiling benevolently. "But you cannot raise a child in Hogwarts. Your responsibilities are far too great. Unless of course," He looked her dead in the eye, "you are putting in your resignation."

Minerva flinched at his words. Could she put in her resignation and care for Abigail Potter? Her eyes drifted over the sleeping child, guilt and anger welling up in the pit of her stomach. She had loved Lily and James Potter, but teaching was her everything. She had taught for going on thirty years and had planned to continue until she died. Minerva hated herself for it but if she had to choose she would pick her job.

"What about another family Albus? The Weasley's or-or-" Minerva racked her brain trying to think of another family that could.

"You know as well as I do that however much the Weasley's would love to they can't Minerva, Molly has just had another girl. That's seven kids for her to raise. Adding another is not right. I know this is hard to accept but placing Abigail with another wizarding family is dangerous, rogue Death Eaters are still on the loose. Look what happened to Marlene McKinnon. Even if it were safe, Minerva, families have been ripped apart and brutally beaten. Do you think they would be able to properly care for her?"

He had squashed all of her arguments. Her determination was in shambles. And her anger was deflating. Minerva knew her points were valid, that this was not the right place, but what could she do? She had no other options to present.

"Now if you don't mind Minerva," Dumbledore smiled happily at her, "I need to get this young one inside before the chill gets her."

Minerva only nodded dumbly, trying hard to rack her brain whilst staring down at her hands. She completely missed how the crimson red hair underneath the small blanket turned electric blue for a moment before turning back. With one last glance at Dumbledore's retreating figure, Minerva apparated away, unable to watch.

xXx

Sister Roselyn was just stepping out of the dining hall to fetch her glasses when she heard the knock at the door. Wondering who on earth could be here so early she peeked through the peep hole. An elderly gentleman with a silver beard down to his thighs was standing on the step, smiling serenely. However it did not escape her notice that in his left arm was blanket wrapped bundle.

Sister Roselyn sighed wearily, silently asking why these poor kids had nowhere else to go, before opening the door with a bright smile. "Hello, I'm Sister Roselyn, head nun here at Bethseda Home for Girls. Would you like to come in?"

It was odd, how this man's eyes seemed to almost twinkle but she quickly forgot about that as she got lost in the unusually bright blue color. "I would like that, thank you madam."

Sister Roselyn smiled again, this time a little more real and moved aside, ushering the man inside. Once he was in the hall and the door was closed he smiled at her and said, "My name is Albus, is there a place we can talk?" Sister Roselyn nodded and led him down the right hall to the first door on the right. She pushed the door open and welcomed him in as she sat behind her desk.

"What can I do for you Mr. Albus?"

Sister Roselyn had, of course, expected the change in his expression. They always had that forlorn look. "I have here Abigail Potter. Her parents were brutally murdered on Halloween. She stayed with her godmother for a few months; however the poor woman got into an accident and didn't survive. She has no one left now. I would like to leave her in your care until she reaches the age of eleven where she will be offered a spot at my boarding school. Just as her parents were."

Sister Roselyn's heart broke, such a sad story for one so young. "Of course sir. Do you have her papers?"

Albus nodded and handed over watch she saw to be Abigail's birth certificate and a few other important documents. "Very well. Does she have any medical conditions? Allergies?"

"No, no, she's perfectly healthy." Sister Roselyn nodded and stood leaning over her desk so that Albus could hand her the child. With Abigail in her arms she walked the man out to the door. Before he left he turned to her a smiled kindly, "thank you." Sister Roselyn nodded quickly before shutting the door behind him. It wouldn't do for the child to strike ill.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two: Grasping Faith

Sister Francesca had been overjoyed to have such a small baby at the home again. The youngest one had just turned two, learning how to say no and throwing tantrums. So Sister Roselyn left the baby's care to her. She had too much on her plate already; an infant would have made things significantly harder.

It had been two days since the arrival of Abigail and all seemed well. She was settling in well and seemed like a fair tempered child. Francesca had recently gone out to buy clothes and a few supplies they didn't have off hand and had left Abigail in the care of Sister Emily. The other children were in their classes, whether that was there at the orphanage where they offered pre-k through third grade or in the private school two blocks over.

So Sister Roselyn relaxed back in her chair, trying to dig up the motivation to go through the stack of paper work on her desk. Two of her kids were being adopted out within the month, which was good of course, but it still left a nasty work load.

A blood curdling scream pulled Sister Roselyn from her thoughts and she quickly grabbed her glasses before dashing out of the room as fast as she could. She hoped Emily hadn't hurt the baby, as she was fairly inexperienced with infants, and sent up a silent prayer that no one was harmed. Another three screams later, each more chilling than the last, Sister Roselyn found Sister Emily in the nursery, backed into a corner grasping her rosary. The look of terror on her face sent a bolt of fear down Sister Roselyn's spine.

"Emily. Emily! EMILY!" No response. The young nun was staring off into space, clutching her rosary to her chest, and praying fiercely. So Sister Roselyn slowly walked over, half terrified of what she might find and half praying to the Lord that this was some mistake. However it wasn't a mistake.

When Sister Roselyn had made it over to the changing table and laid her eyes on Abigail, her whole world froze. The baby's face was scrunched up in obvious discomfort and it seemed the more upset she got the more…the more…the more her hair changed color. Sister Roselyn nearly passed out when she saw dark red hair giving way to blue, then green, then black, and back to red. What was this? Never in all her years had she seen anything like it.

What kind of baby had that man given her? It was…it was almost…no it was exactly like magic. This was no trick of the light or some fake, out of a box, magic. This was pure, black magic. The kind nobody truly believed in but all secretly feared.

_Deuteronomy 18: 9-14 _

"_There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, ..."_

What should she do? Here was this infant who was damned to hell for eternity in her orphanage. Her Lord told her this was an abomination to Him and she loved Him more than anything else in the world. She couldn't just throw the infant out, it would surely die and that would be on her hands. No. She couldn't have that. So they would have to-

"I'm back," Francesca bounced in brightly, "where's my cute little- AAHHHHH!" There was a loud _thud _and she guessed that the bags had been dropped. Sister Roselyn winced at Francesca's scream and turned to her.

"Francesca go close the door, we have much to discuss."

When Francesca began backing away slowly towards the door Sister Roselyn turned back to the child.

_O My God, I adore Thee and I love Thee with all my heart._

She started to undo the diaper and motioned for the other two women to come forward and help. Slowly but surely they did, joining in in the prayer as well.

_I thank Thee for having created me, for having made me a Catholic and for having watched over me this day._

Emily opened the wipes and held them out while Francesca took away the dirty diaper.

_Pardon me for the evil I have done this day; and if I have done any good, deign to accept it_.

Finally all of the excrement had been wiped away and a new diaper was being put on.

_Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger. May Thy grace be always with me. Amen._

When it was all done Sister Roselyn took the child and cringed at its unnaturally blue hair. After she laid it in the crib she turned to Emily and Francesca, both of whom were looking frightened and like they wanted to run away.

"I did not know the child was an abomination when I took her in." Both of the women looked to her and she continued. "It is an abomination to our Lord. However we cannot simply leave it somewhere, It will die on its own and then we would have that on our souls."

Emily was the first to argue. "But surely we cannot keep it here, it is dangerous and evil." Sister Roselyn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose; Emily was always the hot tempered one.

"You are right Emily, it is dangerous and evil. But Roselyn is also right, if we cast it out it will surely die and I won't have any death on my soul. The Lord would not have allowed it here if he had not a plan for it."

Sister Roselyn felt a swell of pride for Francesca; she would make a great Mother Superior one day. "That's right Francesca; it is here for a reason. Obviously a temptation from Satan that the Lord knows we can handle. It will be here until it turns eleven and then the man said she would attend a boarding school. So we must protect ourselves and our charges from the temptation."

Both Sisters were nodding along with her, determination burning bright in their eyes. Sister Roselyn continued, "We will feed it, clothe it, teach it when the time comes, but that is all. Only our basic duties. We cannot grow attached to it, play with it, or encourage its sorcery. When it gets its own room it will be put away from the other children."

All three nodded in agreement before turning to stare at the child in the crib watching them. They all felt the shudder than ran down their spines.

The next few years passed by dreadfully slow for the three nuns. They had for the most part kept Abigail from the other children whilst simultaneously rescheduling their teachings to more…appropriate ones that would help them in the near future when Abigail was too old to sequester away all of the time. However it wasn't always easy to keep the other children from discovering Abigail's black magic or keeping Sister Emily at Bethseda's.

By the time Abigail turned one not only was her hair a plethora of colors ranging from bright blue to hot pink depending on her mood, but she had also started changing eye color and at one point turned her hands into kitten paws when a stray had caught her eye. Sister Roselyn had had to remind Emily on numerous occasions that this was only a test, that the Lord would protect them if they trust in Him.

Poor Francesca had had the hardest time with the loss of such a cute baby. When Abigail wasn't using black magic the nun easily forgot and would almost get lost in the baby cuteness. But almost as if Abigail wanted to show off her…abilities she would giggle and then change a part of her, frightening off the nun.

The real trouble started when Abigail was almost two. She would throw enormous tantrums when left alone for too long, the first time it had happened Roselyn herself had to stop herself from penning a letter of resignation.

They had been having the monthly status reports of the children and hadn't been paying any attention to the crying baby. She had been fed and changed so they knew she was not in need. But then things had started…vibrating, almost as if someone was playing extremely loud music. They had ignored it at first, until the vibration grew stronger and the objects in the room started rattling and moving. The lights had flickered and all three of them had been scared out of their wits.

It was Emily who put it together first and quickly picked up the child, praying under her breath. Sister Roselyn had tried everything she knew to keep that from happening again. But they quickly learned that it did more harm than good. The more Roselyn tried to punish and teach the small child the worse the…incidents.

It was on Abigail's fifth birthday that the other children learned of the abnormal child in their care. By this time the nuns were much calmer about these incidents, able to handle the situation better without breaking down and giving into their fear. The other children had gone out trick or treating and Abigail had been left with Sister Emily with her new Corduroy book. It was slightly scary how fast the child caught on learned to read the preschool books.

However nice the evening was going when the children returned with their pillowcases half full of candy and bright smiles on their faces Abigail's expression had sent fear through them, freezing them in place whilst holding their breaths for a tantrum that was to come.

Abigail had surprised them though and not in a good way.

_Sister Emily was reading the story of Job once again while watching the abomination to the Lord whilst everyone else was take to trick or treat around the neighborhood. She felt personally drawn to Job and she admired his strength. He had been unknowingly tested in the cruelest way and still overcame. His faith had not wavered and he had been rewarded for that later in his life. If only she could be as strong. _

_None of her family was dying, their orphanage was well funded, and none of them had been ill. But this child, Emily's eyes flickered to the young child on the carpet by the fireplace, was in some ways worse. Abigail was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, with crimson hair that curled nicely and beautiful bone structure the small child was a sight. But if you got anywhere near her you could feel the evil coming off her. _

_When she angered, the very air seemed to thicken and crackle. _

_Emily hated to admit she would rather bear the loss that Job had than have the responsibility she had placed on her shoulders. A loss you could not control seemed so much better than the consequences of what should happen if she or the other sisters failed. They were being tested by the Lord to not only protect their own souls from accepting the beautiful, evil child, but to protect the other children safe and from temptation. _

_Would her soul be damned to Hell if they failed? _

_All Sister Emily knew was that they had to try their best. It was only for a few more years and then she would be gone. They were already a few short months from being to the halfway point according to Sister Roselyn. _

_The door could be heard being unlocked and unsurprisingly Abigail's head shot towards the office door. Then the sound of children laughing and talking about swapping could be heard. Sister Emily set down her bible and stood. On the way to the door she looked to Abigail and spoke sharply, "Stay in here."_

_Emily didn't wait for a response, instead headed out and towards the joyous voices in the play room. When she arrived kids were already spread out across the hard wood floor with piles of candy in between their legs, cataloguing their sweets. _

"_Ah, Emily!" Emily smiled at Sister Roselyn and Sister Francesca as she made her way towards them. _

"_How was it? Not too unruly?" Little Julia was trading a mars bar for some sort of large sucker and she couldn't stop her smile from turning into large one. _

"_Oh no, they all wanted their candy too badly to misbehave. Ah, here comes the older children." Emily turned to the door way and almost laughed when they went right to their favorites under the guise of "helping them sort the candy." _

"_How was the abomination tonight?" Francesca asked in a worried tone. _

_Emily turned back from the children and narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew Fran was only hurt over the loss of having such a beautiful baby turn out so evil. But it still wasn't right to refer to it as an abomination, what if it heard? Emily held back a shudder at the thought of the child being raised in a home that would refer to it as that to its face. As of now it hadn't hurt anyone and only used her black magic on herself. Who knows what she would be capable of soon. At least they were trying to instill morals in it. _

"_It was a quiet night. I was reading Job when you arrived back. It read it's birthday gift tonight, aloud." A shudder ran through them all. None of them were comfortable with the child's abnormal learning capacity. She was scarily intelligent, already reading and adding small numbers when the other children her age were still practicing their letters. _

_Sister Roselyn was about to respond when the room fell silent. All three of them turned to see Abigail in the door way, her crimson hair and blue eyes turning black. Emily could hear Fran gasp behind her and Emily wanted to curse. Of course it wouldn't listen to her. Now the other children had seen it and there was no going back from here, they would be bombarded with questions in the very least. But she could see this turning very bad very easily._

_Emily stepped forward to take Abigail back to her office but froze when black eyes landed on her. Fury, cold fury was burning bright in it's eyes. It wasn't until she smelled smoke that she realized chaos had erupted in the room. Sister Roselyn and Sister Francesca were leading screaming kids out of the room and the piles of candy were on fire. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide before flying to the door way. But Abigail was already gone. _

It had taken days to air out the play room for the kids and return it to normal, but like the scorch marks on the polished wood that never faded, none of the residents of Bethseda Home for Girls ever forgot.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three: From Another Perspective

It was a cold winter's morning that found all of the third graders in Bethseda's Home for Girl's in the classroom that was located in the last door on the left, in the hall that held all of the classrooms. Sister Francesca was sitting behind her desk, waiting for the clock to strike eight so that she could call the girls' attention. Only one girl in the classroom sat at her desk silently, her nose in a book. The rest were gathered by the supplies closet, chatting excitedly about the up and coming Christmas Break.

Abigail rolled her eyes as she closed her book and tucked it into her desk. She had finally received five new books for her birthday and she was not about to waste their preciousness in an environment she could not properly focus in. It was rare to find books in the Orphanage that weren't about some biblical story.

So she watched the other girls talking excitedly, which was hardly any better. Abigail knew they were speaking of Christmas, the time their precious Lord was born. It made her kind of nauseous, thinking of worshiping a God that was so narrow minded. When she had told them last Christmas that she wouldn't be celebrating with them it had only caused her further ridicule, but who could blame her? They thought of her as an abomination anyways. That she was evil because she could change her appearance at will or make objects float.

They called it black magic.

It didn't matter if they thought she was evil or if some God she didn't know loathed her. What did matter however was that these normals couldn't do what she could. She was special. These girls with no family or friends in the outside world would struggle after they left here, but Abigail, she would be able to easily succeed. She had the highest marks, she was always the one with the answer, and she had black magic.

When class started Abigail took out her lucky pencil and pulled out a hair tie, she wasn't allowed to shorten it or change her appearance in any way in front of the other girls. It didn't matter though; she'd still score the highest marks on this math test.

The rest of the school day passed by dreadfully slow and Abigail had been reprimanded twice for not paying attention and staring out the window. Normally she was better behaved but she had been given permission to walk to the library after school, so she was rather excited

"Alright girls, put away your books and you are free to go." Abigail was the first out of her seat, and the first to the door. She ignored Sister Francesca's disapproving glare at such behavior and slipped out of the door. She already had to climb three flights of stairs to reach her room, she wasn't about to waste time with proper decorum for these people.

'_Maybe I'll be able to find that fifth grade text book that Mrs. Pay was talking about.' _Abigail thought smugly as she climbed the stairs. _'Sister Roselyn would surely love to see-oh maybe I can sweet talk Mrs. Pay into letting me check out a book about the Devil.' _A vicious smirk curled her lips as she rounded on the second floor. It would be worth all the fuss just to see the fear in the Sisters' eyes if they saw her reading that book. Sadly, it wouldn't happen…at least not yet. Mrs. Pay was far to close with the stupid nuns to even think about letting her check out that book right now. 'It wasn't proper reading material for a nine year old.'

If only Mrs. Pay knew…Abigail had been hiding the books she was really reading behind larger ones that made the librarian's approval. It was how she became such a good reader in the first place. Reading Poe in the back corner of the library had improved her skills a hundred fold. It had taken a long time to understand some of the poems or short stories but she had worked hard on keeping tempo and not stuttering. It was only an added bonus that Mr. Poe had increased her vocabulary exponentially.

Abigail reached her room and sighed in distaste. A bed, a small dresser, a mirror, and a small bookshelf were all she had to decorate her room. It was terribly drab as well with the grey paint on the wall and the bland, cheap wood of the furniture, even her blanket was a dark grey, scratchy wool. She had once asked for paint for her birthday but the nuns had refused. Only a month later Hailey was allowed to paint her room pink and the older girls were able to buy it on their own with the money they received from getting jobs in town.

Biting back a wave if jealousy and anger Abigail slipped of her skirt and pulled out another one that was pure black instead of checkered. She kept her white button up on but changed cardigans to a dark green one and then untied her hair. With a scowl she narrowed her eyes at her reflection, studying the bump the ponytail had left in her hair. In a few seconds it flattened and her curls were redone. Now, she grinned, she was ready to go out.

Abigail turned and lifted the floor board underneath her bed, careful not to raise it more than necessary and pulled out the old dirty sock. She couldn't remember exactly when she started but she had been taking money from the nuns quite regularly, not that they noticed. It was supposed to be a sin, Abigail had learned that in kindergarten, and maybe stealing from _nuns_ was extra bad, but she was already "evil", "an abomination", and "damned to hell", could it really damn her even more?

A giggle escaped as she tucked the wad of money in her pocket and shut the door behind her. _'Honestly, damned to Hell? Maybe Gretchen will be right and I'll only return there.' _Abigail laughed harder while she buttoned up her thick coat and put on her gloves. Outside the weather was bitingly cold and the snow was already up to her waist on either side of the shoveled sidewalk.

Maidstone was dreadfully cold almost all year round. Even in dead of summer it was only mid-seventies to low eighties. Abigail promised herself she would leave here one day and move somewhere warm. If she kept her grades high enough in secondary school she had real chances of getting scholarships to warmer parts of the country. Sister Emily had said that Surrey was nice, that even though it was right next to Kent, that it had both warm summers and cold winters.

Abigail was broken out of her thoughts as a group of people caught her eye. They were older, about as old as some of the girls about to leave the orphanage, but they were dressed in weird…she didn't know what they were dressed in and she didn't care. What she did care about was that they were now walking down steps into what looked like the entrance to an underground train…only Maidstone had no underground trains. Abigail looked around, waiting impatiently for the walk signal to appear on the other side of the street. No one else seemed to see it! In fact they all walked around it as if they thought it was just a hole in the walkway.

After what felt like years the traffic stopped and the light switched, letting her know it was safe to walk. Abigail walked as fast as she could to the other side but it was too late. Slack jawed she watched the whole thing disappear before she even stepped foot on the sidewalk.

'_No!' _Abigail mentally screamed. _'No come back!' _She stamped her foot hard on the concrete where the steps had just been. _'It was just- those people had-' _Abigail's eyes widened in realization. _'They must have black magic too!' _Her heart started to race faster and she felt numb. She wasn't the only witch. There were others like her!

'_Maybe the nuns really are wrong,'_ Abigail thought as she moved to sit on one of the metal tables beside a restaurant. What if…what if she really wasn't an abomination? Abigail could feel her eyes start to water as she stared at the ground where the stairs had been. Could there be a whole community of witches like her and the normals just didn't know about it? But why-why had she been placed with normals if she was a witch?

Abigail sat at the table, waiting and hoping another person who could make the stairs appear would come, but they didn't. For two hours Abigail watched but when the street lamps came on she was forced to leave. Her happiness only a little deflated, she headed back to the orphanage with a smirk on her face. She'd lie to Sister Emily about needing more library time, and then she'd wait and watch, because one day, one day she was bound to catch it open again.

xXx

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Abigail maintained composure as the rest of the table prayed. All she really wanted to do was yell at them for how stupid they were.

"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," So much for forgiveness. Her hair had a mind of its own and she was only nine! How could they expect her to keep it under control all of them time? But no, they didn't see it logically. Sister Emily had seen and had been furious at her for tainting the children with her evilness.

Three days. Three long, mind numbing days she had been locked in her room, unable to come out. No food, no water, and only a single restroom break. Sister Roselyn had once said these punishments were to humble her, to make her think about how she could have harmed someone. Abigail had bit her tongue at that, once she learned exactly how extensive her magic was she would show them harm. Normals punishing her, locking her in her room; normals not feeding her! _That_ was the abomination, not her.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

Abigail nearly snorted at the last line, if only they knew. While they had locked her away for three days and forgotten about her she had seethed. It had been a whole year since they had last locked her away and she had been furious about it. Not only had they neglected her in attempts at humbling her, but they had stopped her from being able to get back to Queens Road. What if more magicals had come and opened the stairs while she had been held hostage by normals?

Abigail grit her teeth at the thought.

The only thing keeping her remotely sane and polite was the fact that she hadn't lost her newfound library privileges. She had smiled sweetly and promised that she meant the other children no harm. Abigail had sworn to try and keep her black magic in control. Sister Emily hadn't given in and believed her charm until Abigail had offered to help find the nun's rosary.

She knew that that card would come in handy she just hadn't thought it'd be so soon. Right after breakfast Abigail helped Sister Emily look for her rosary in vain until she got bored with the nun's frantic behavior. When Sister Emily's back was turned to her she pulled the long necklace out of her pocket and got down on all fours. The nun had been overjoyed when Abigail had "found" it under the desk, so much so that she had granted Abigail library privileges again.

A smirk curled her lips as Abigail poked her food with her fork. She only had a few more minutes before she would be free to leave. With a stomach full of butterflies it was near impossible to eat, but Abigail forced herself to eat at least half of what little was on her plate. If she managed to get down the stairs she would need energy to explore. She knew she would. Her gut told her something magical was down there and it hadn't been wrong yet. Not when Susan had stolen her Alice in Wonderland book or when Megan had trashed her room.

"Abigail is something wrong?" Abigail's head snapped to Sister Roselyn at the head of the table and shook her head.

"No ma'am."

"Then cease with the foot tapping and eat." Abigail bit her tongue to keep quiet and tried to imagine what the stairs led to. She would not ruin this just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut. No, she would take it and then one day…one day she'd show them what the abomination was truly capable of.

Twenty minutes later Abigail was in her coat and just coming down the last set of steps when the three nuns went running up the stairs, mumbling about how 'it may be appendicitis.' Abigail's eyes flickered from the front door to Sister Roselyn's office door, then to scan the surrounding area. Not a soul in sight.

Never one to pass up a good opportunity, Abigail changed directions and walked to the door to Sister Roselyn's office. After another quick scan to make sure nobody was around she quickly opened it and slid in. She had stolen so much from the nuns that the adrenaline rush had long since stopped appearing. Her hands no longer shook as she reached for the top drawer, and her heart didn't pound when she heard someone else walking up the stairs. Abigail wasn't even scared of getting caught. She never did.

With haste she shoved the pounds in her pocket and closed the drawer. By the time Abigail had opened the front door there was still no sign of anyone. She hummed happily as she walked towards the end of the road, anxious to cross the street and get out of view of the orphanage. Once she knew she could not be seen anymore she pulled the notes out of her pocket.

'_20…35….45…45 pounds,' _Abigail smirked and ripped her glove off with her teeth so that she could reach into her pocket. Adding the new forty five pounds into her original wad of notes Abigail couldn't help the malicious glee it sent through her. Now she only had to wait another two months before she could risk stealing more.

Gloves back on Abigail sped up her pace, anxious to get to Queens Road. The sidewalks weren't very busy and since it was a weekday not many cars were on the road. Ten minutes later she was impatiently pushing the need to walk button every two seconds. There was no sign of the stairs, or of any people dressed in weird- no they couldn't be weird. They were magical and had their own fashion apart from the normals. She was magical so she would wear magical clothing eventually too.

When Abigail sat at the little metal table on the terrace of the same restaurant her nerves finally died down. Now all she had to do was wait. At least one magical was bound to come by, she had eight full hours until she had to be back at the orphanage. Abigail pulled out the thin book she had gotten for her birthday and prepared to immerse herself in the lovely, dark world of Mr. Poe when something caught her eye.

Her head snapped up and her eyes widened when she realized that a man was walking towards her dressed in magical clothes. Quickly she snapped the book shut and tucked it back inside her coat without taking her eyes off the man. Abigail forced herself not to blink as the man looked around an walked to the stop light pole. A gasp escaped her lips as another button appeared and he pressed it.

It was all she could do not to go running down the steps the instant they appeared. Abigail forced herself to wait until he was halfway down them before she took off running. Relief flooded through her as she took the first step and she bit back a squeal. This was it! This was what she had been dreaming about for a week!


End file.
